Game Rules (Season 4)
The following are the official rules of play for the DigiPen Outbreak Season 4 game. Basic Game Rules "Rule #0" As of right now, DigiPen Institute of Technology allows its students to play Outbreak due to the responsible demeanor of both the game organizers and the players. Not all schools give their students the opportunity to play this potentially dangerous game, and if DigiPen administration decides that the game must be shut down, the Outbreak club has no control over that ruling. Thus the most important, doesn't-need-to-be-said rule of DigiPen Outbreak is, "Do not get Outbreak banned from DigiPen." "Rule #1" Outbreak is an honor-based game, and many situations will arise during play when players will need to use their best judgement to ensure the smooth continuation of the game. Thus, the first rule of DigiPen Outbreak is simply, "Don't be a dick." The Good Samaritan Rule While we do not expect or hope that any players will be injured during the course of the game, we kindly request that if a player is hurt, any nearby players (Outbreak) assist the injured player immediately. For the duration of this assistance, any game-related activities in the immediate area are to be disregarded (stuns and tags do not count). The Good Samaritan Rule is an essential rule for the continued safety of all players; abusing or exploiting this rule in any way will not be tolerated. Playing as a Human When playing as a Human, players are only permitted to carry Nerf-type foam dart blasters or balled up socks as weapons. When a Zombie (designated by a clearly visible headband or bandana necklace) attempts to tag a Human, the Human can 'stun' the Zombie by hitting it with a sock or foam dart. A stunned Zombie cannot tag any Humans until it has respawned. Human Rules *You will receive a unique ID the day before the start of the game. Write this ID on an index card and keep the card with you until you are either tagged by a Zombie, or the game has ended. Do not share this ID with anyone unless tagged by a Zombie. *You cannot stun Zombies while they are in a Respawn Zone. *Keep blasters concealed while inside DigiPen until near a building exit. *Do not shout, yell, or run while inside DigiPen. *If you are tagged by a Zombie, you must surrender your unique ID card, and remove your armband. After a one hour Turning Phase, you are considered a Zombie. *Any Human that is tagged by a Zombie and does not have his or her unique ID card may be removed from the game. *If a Zombie tags your Nerf Blaster, it is not considered a tag. *You are not able to be tagged in designated Safe Zones. *Both feet must be inside a Safe Zone for a Human to be considered safe. *When using socks as a weapon, they must be thrown using your own hand. If you are found using socks in any other form, you may be removed from the game. *The use of any sort of shield used to protect you from being tagged is illegal. *Melee weapons of any kind are not allowed. *Only approved foam dart blasters may be used. Turning Phase If a Human is tagged by a Zombie, she enters a one-hour "Turning Phase" during which she may not interact with the game in any way. Once one hour has elapsed, the Human is considered a Zombie and will remain so for the rest of the week. The player may now put on her headband and begin hunting Humans once she is at least 20 feet away from all visible Humans (The "20-Foot Rule"). Playing as a Zombie When playing as a Zombie, players must try to tag Human players without being stunned. This is a difficult task, and often requires cleverness, teamwork, and ambushes to accomplish. After tagging a Human, a Zombie collects that Human's unique ID card, and reports the kill on the Zombie Turn-In page. If a Human hits you with a sock or foam dart at any time, you are considered 'stunned' and may not try to tag any Humans until you have respawned (see below). Respawning and Respawn Zones Once a Zombie is stunned, he may not re-enter the game until he has 'respawned'. To respawn, a Zombie must be at one of the designated Respawn Zones when the clock reaches a 10-minute interval. For example, a Zombie may respawn at a Respawn Zone at 1:00pm, 1:10pm, 1:20pm, etc. Much like how Safe Zones protect Humans, Respawn Zones protect Zombie players; if a live Zombie is stunned while standing in a Respawn Zone, the stun is negated immediately. Zombie Rules *You cannot tag Humans while they are in a Safe Zone. *Do not intentionally inflict physical harm on Humans while tagging them. *In order to officially tag a Human, you must physically touch them with an open palm, not their Nerf Blaster. *You may not wear your headband while stunned. *You may not act as though you are a Human in any way, including wearing your bandana as an armband, or carrying a Nerf Blaster. *The use of any sort of shield to block foam darts or socks, including other zombies, is prohibited. Markings Bandana Rules Human Bandana Rules Humans are required to wear a clearly visible armband whenever outside of a safe zone. The armband must be worn and visible before exiting the safe zone. When a Human has been tagged by a Zombie, the Human must remove his or her armband completely. The armband may not be worn again (even as a headband) until the Human has completed his or her Turning Phase. Once the Turning Phase has elapsed, and the tagged Human is at least 20 feet away from the nearest Human he or she may put on his or her headband and rejoin the game as a Zombie. Zombie Bandana Rules Zombies are required to wear a clearly visible headband (worn around the forehand) whenever outside of a safe zone. The bandana must be worn and visible from 360 degrees before exiting the safe zone. When a Zombie has been stunned by a sock or dart, the Zombie must remove the headband completely for the duration of their respawn period. Once the respawn period has elapsed, and the Zombie is at least 20 feet away from the nearest Human, he or she may put his or her headband back on and rejoin the game. Safe Zones Certain locations and areas are designated "Safe Zones". Safe Zones are neutral locations where Humans and Zombies can mingle and take a break from the game. Humans cannot be tagged while inside of a Safe Zone, however both feet must be within the Safe Zone for this rule to apply. If a Zombie is hit wtih a dart or sock while standing in a Safe Zone, he or she is stunned for the normal stun duration. Both players must have both feet outside of the Safe Zone in order for a tag to be legal. List of Safe Zones *Inside of the DigiPen building. *Any private property outside of the DigiPen complex. This includes but is not limited to private parking lots, apartment complexes, restaurants, and shopping centers. *Vehicles, such as cars, buses, and bicycles. List of Play Zones *The DigiPen parking lot (note that other buildings' parking lots are off-limits during this game). *Public venues, such as parks or playgrounds. *Streets, sidewalks, and bike paths. Please be safe when playing near traffic. Doors There are also 10-foot area marked around all exits from the DigiPen building. These areas are considered Safe Zones, and serve to prevent extra congestion at doorways. All rules that apply to Safe Zones apply to the area marked around the doorways. Vehicle Rules Many players use some sort of vehicle to get to school; these are considered Safe Zones until the players have exited their vehicles safely. Anyone exiting a vehicle cannot tag another player, or be tagged by another player for at least 5 seconds after they have done so. General Rules *Players may not drive/operate vehicles for directly game-related purposes at any time (with the exception of parking, see below). *Car alarms may not be activated for directly game-related purposes at any time. *Players are permitted to be inside vehicles during missions, with permission from the vehicle owner. *Mission objectives (players or items) may not be brought into/onto vehicles at any time unless specified. *Players are permitted to repark cars to disrupt the other team's movement and vision, however cars must be parked legally in accordance with state law. *If a player must drive/operate a vehicle for any reason, they must attempt to avoid any areas where players are visibly engaged in gameplay. Drive-By Rule *Humans may not, under any circumstances, attempt to stun a Zombie from a moving vehicle. *Zombies may not, under any circumstances, attempt to tag a Human from a moving vehicle. *This rule is in effect for the entirety of the game. *Anyone caught breaking this rule is subject to removal from the game. Disputes In the instance that a Human and a Zombie are both convinced that they tagged the other one first, they must bring the dispute to a Moderator if they cannot resolve the dispute themselves. The Moderator will determine whether or not a duel is required. The "20-Foot Rule" Humans who have just completed their turning phase must be at least 20 feet away from all other visible Humans before adorning their headbands. This rule does not apply if the Human completes their turning phase while standing within a Zombie Respawn Zone. Modifications : Main article: Blaster Modification Humans occasionally choose to modify their blasters externally (custom painting) and/or internally (increasing range, accuracy, etc). However, after several DigiPen Administrative complaints during Season 2, the painting of blasters has been significantly limited, and many painted blasters were banned. Any weapons with custom painting and/or other modifications must follow the guidelines listed below in order to be permitted for in-game use. Modification Rules *Modded blasters must be approved by the Game Director prior to the beginning of the game. *Painted blasters must be approved by the Game Director prior to the beginning of the game. *Modified darts are not allowed under any circumstances. *Painted darts must be approved by the Game Director prior to the beginning of the game. *Socks cannot contain any objects other than another (1) Sock.